Sir Keir Starmer accused Vladimir Putin of “playing games” as he insisted sanctions on Russia cannot be eased until the war in Ukraine endsSpeaking alongside Volodymyr Zelensky in Paris, the Prime Minister said the nations taking part in the “coalition of the willing summit” agreed economic pressure on the Kremlin must be maintained. The Prime Minister said the meeting was “bigger than we have had before”, with 30 countries plus Nato and the European Union represented.“There was absolute clarity that Russia is trying to delay and playing games, and we have to be absolutely clear about that,” he said.His comments were echoed by Mr Zelensky, who said: “I think that Keir almost said all the outcomes which are very important for us, no lifting any kind of sanctions until Russia will stop this war. And I think more pressure on it, more packages of sanctions.”He also called for a “common voice” to put pressure on Russia, which he said “does not want any kind of peace”.Russia and Ukraine have accused each other of breaking the terms of a tentative US-brokered deal to pause strikes on energy infrastructure, underscoring the challenges in negotiating a broader peace.
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00:00And it's now, obviously, over two weeks since Ukraine agreed to an immediate 30-day ceasefire.
00:08That offer is still unanswered.
00:11It's over a week since Putin agreed to an energy and infrastructure ceasefire.
00:18But since then, Russia has hit energy infrastructure in cities across Ukraine.
00:24They've increased their bombardment, firing over 1,000 long-range drones at the country,
00:30hitting Ukrainian homes, schools and hospitals, with widespread civilian casualties.
00:37One drone killed a mother, a father and their daughter, an innocent family.
00:47Then this week, we saw the agreement on a ceasefire in the Black Sea.
00:52I welcomed this as a vital first step forward.
00:56But within a few minutes of the announcement, Russia set out new conditions and delays.
01:03Now, President Trump has rightly called them out for dragging their feet.
01:07And we agreed here in Paris today that it's clear the Russians are filibustering.
01:14They are playing games, and they're playing for time.
01:18It is a classic from the Putin playbook.
01:22But we can't let them drag this out while they continue prosecuting their illegal invasion.
01:29Instead, we should be setting a framework and a deadline of delivering real progress.
01:36And then we should hold them to that deadline.
01:39So here in Paris, we've agreed that we must go further now to support the peace process,
01:46support Ukraine, and increase the pressure on Russia to get serious.
01:52That means, first, stepping up the military pressure
01:56so the Defence Secretary will chair the next Ukraine Defence Contact Group on 11 April
02:03to marshal more military aid and keep Ukraine in the fight.
02:08Because peace comes through strength.
02:11That was one of the main messages reasserted today
02:14and emphasised today all around the table and the meeting.
02:18Second, it means increasing the economic pressure on Russia,
02:22accelerating new, tougher sanctions,
02:25bearing down on Russia's energy revenues,
02:28and working together to make this pressure count.
02:33We also discussed how we can support the implementation of a full or partial ceasefire when it is in place
02:42and how we can build on efforts towards negotiations on a just and lasting peace.
02:49That remains our shared goal, and it's what the Coalition of the Willing is designed to support.
02:56The political will from partners here today was clear.
03:00And this week in London, we hosted over 200 military planners from 30 countries,
03:07coming forward with contributions on everything from logistics and command and control
03:13to deployments on land, on air, and on sea.
03:18That work continues at pace.
03:21We will be ready to operationalise a peace deal whenever its precise shape turns out to be.
03:28And we will work together to ensure Ukraine's security, so it can defend and deter against future attacks.
03:36This is Europe mobilising together behind the peace process
03:42on a scale that we haven't seen for decades.
03:46Backed by partners from around the world,
03:49we are determined to deliver a just and lasting peace
03:54because we know that it is vital for Ukraine and Europe as a whole.
04:01And I am clear that it's also vital for Britain.